US8410228B2 - Emulsion polymerisation process - Google Patents
Emulsion polymerisation process Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US8410228B2 US8410228B2 US12/374,236 US37423607A US8410228B2 US 8410228 B2 US8410228 B2 US 8410228B2 US 37423607 A US37423607 A US 37423607A US 8410228 B2 US8410228 B2 US 8410228B2
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- emulsion
- reductant
- reactor
- added
- process according
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
- C08F2/00—Processes of polymerisation
- C08F2/12—Polymerisation in non-solvents
- C08F2/16—Aqueous medium
- C08F2/22—Emulsion polymerisation
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
- C08F4/00—Polymerisation catalysts
- C08F4/40—Redox systems
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an emulsion polymerisation process in a reactor comprising one or more circulation loops with one or more inlets for raw material, one or more outlets, and a circulation pump for circulating a reactor charge within the circulation loop.
- the polymerisation reaction is initiated by radicals to give a dispersion of high-molecular weight polymer particles suspended in a medium in which the polymer is insoluble, usually water.
- the obtained emulsion polymers are particularly useful as binders in emulsion paints, such as wall paints, or dispersion adhesives.
- Several types of initiators are used to initiate radical formation. Typical initiators are so-called redox initiators, comprising a reductant and an oxidant.
- EP 0 417 893 A1 discloses an emulsion polymerisation process in a loop reactor. Water, monomers, and stabilisers are continuously fed to the loop and circulated and emulsion polymer is continuously drawn off.
- the monomers may be added neat or in a pre-emulsion.
- An oxidant is added to the flow containing monomer.
- a reductant is carried by a separate aqueous flow and fed into the reactor at a different point.
- grit formation is the formation of unwanted lumps of polymer during the manufacturing stage. These lumps most often are present as tiny beads of polymer of about 0.5 to 2 mm in diameter and must be filtered out of the product. High grit contents, e.g. above 0.4%, cause manufacturing difficulties because they slow the filter time and generate waste for disposal. Grit formation can be reduced by using high amounts of stabiliser. However, a high stabiliser content has the disadvantage of additional cost and most often is detrimental to application properties. Therefore, there is the general desire to use the lowest level of stabiliser consistent with achieving manufacturing and processing stability, acceptable levels of grit formation and application properties.
- the object of the invention is to balance reduced grit formation with acceptably low stabiliser contents.
- the object of the invention is achieved by an emulsion polymerisation process using a redox initiator comprising a reductant and an oxidant, wherein monomers are mixed into a carrier liquid to make a pre-emulsion, which is then supplied via a first feed line to a reactor comprising one or more circulation loops, an outlet, and a circulation pump for circulating a reactor charge within the circulation loop, characterised in that the reductant is added to the pre-emulsion separately from the oxidant and the oxidant is metered into the reactor charge via a second feed line.
- the monomer pre-emulsions will generally have a monomer content of at least 10% by weight of the pre-emulsion, e.g. above 15 wt. % or above 20 wt. %
- the oxidant can for example be added downstream or upstream of the inlet of the pre-emulsion, optionally pre-mixed with the aqueous carrier.
- the reductant is added to the monomer pre-emulsion as an aqueous solution comprising one or more stabilisers.
- the reductant can be dissolved in a small amount of water and fed into to the pre-emulsion feed line close to the point where it enters the loop reactor.
- the risk of premature polymerisation can be further reduced by preparing the monomer pre-emulsion at ambient temperatures.
- commercially available monomers generally comprise traces of inhibitors, such as hydroquinone or 4-methoxyphenol. Inhibitor in the monomers is consumed before polymerisation will commence.
- the pre-emulsion is made on-line, i.e. continuously and at the same rate as the feeding rate of monomer pre-emulsion into the reactor charge.
- Some typical monomers suitable for use in the present polymerisation process include, e.g., ethylene, propylene, butylenes, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylate, methacrylate; alkyl acrylates, such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate; alkyl methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and butyl methacrylate; styrene, vinyl formate, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate and higher homologues of vinyl esters, vinyl chloride, and diallyl phthalate.
- alkyl acrylates such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate
- alkyl methacrylates such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and butyl
- oxidants are the salts of peroxodisulphuric acid, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, di-tert-amyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, t-amyl hydroperoxide, and hydrogen peroxide itself.
- Suitable reductants are sodium sulphite, sodium metabisulphite, sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate, ascorbic acid, and sodium dithionite.
- Transition metal salts e.g. ferrous sulphate, can be used advantageously in trace quantities.
- the monomer pre-emulsion can also comprise stabilisers.
- Suitable stabilisers are anionic and non-ionic surfactants, polymerisable stabilisers and surfactants, hydroxyethyl and hydroxymethyl cellulose and derivatives thereof, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrolidones, and surface-active water-soluble polyurethanes.
- Agitation in the reactor can be provided by virtue of an in-line circulation pump.
- the temperature can be stabilised by cooling means, usually by controlled circulation of a cooling fluid (e.g. water) through a cooling jacket.
- a cooling fluid e.g. water
- Discharged emulsion polymer flows to the cooling tank, where residual monomer converts to polymer.
- the emulsion polymer is filtered to remove any oversize particles or gritty material in the strainer and transferred to the product storage tank.
- the polymerisation process may be carried out under pressure, for instance under a pressure of 10 to 150 bar.
- the polymerisation may be carried out at ambient pressure.
- An emulsion polymer was made using the conventional format for monomer delivery, i.e. neat monomer containing t-butyl hydroperoxide metered directly into the loop.
- the water phase contained a mixture of two partially hydrolysed polyvinyl alcohols totalling 2.0% on product, 0.2% of an anionic surfactant, pH modifier, sodium metabisulphite, and water.
- the formulation was set to a nominal solids content of 47%.
- the reaction conditions were as follows, temperature 80° C., pressure 2 bar, production rate 162 ml/minute, recycle to feed ratio 105, mean residence time 8 minutes, mean flow path velocity 0.7 m/s, mean shear rate 350 reciprocal seconds.
- the product made in this manner was found to be 47.7% in solids content and had a grit content of 2.3 g per kilogram of product.
- a formulation identical to the formulation used in Comparative Example 1A was prepared, except that first a pre-emulsion comprising the monomers, stabilisers, pH modifier, and sodium metabisulphite was made. The pre-emulsion was fed into the reactor charge. A second feed consisted only of tert-butyl hydro-peroxide and 19% of the available water. The resultant reaction gave a solids content of 47.2% and a grit content of 0.07 g per kilogram of product.
- An emulsion polymer was made using the conventional format for monomer delivery, i.e. neat monomer containing t-butyl hydroperoxide metered directly into the loop.
- the water phase contained 0.3% of an allyl modified hydroxyethyl cellulose, 1.5% of an anionic surfactant, and 0.2% of a polymerisable stabiliser.
- a pH modifier, sodium metabisulphite, and water were present.
- the formulation was set to a nominal solids content of 55%.
- the reaction conditions were as follows, temperature 60° C., pressure 2 bar, production rate 175 ml/minute, recycle to feed ratio 76, mean residence time 7.4 minutes, mean flow path velocity 0.56 m/s, mean shear rate 275 reciprocal seconds.
- the product made in this manner was found to be 54.5% in solids content and had a grit content of 13.4 g per kilogram of product.
- a formulation identical to the formulation used in Comparative Example 2A was prepared, except that first a pre-emulsion comprising the monomers, stabilisers, pH modifier, and sodium metabisulphite was prepared.
- the second feed consisted only of tert-butyl hydroperoxide, the polymerisable stabiliser, and 36% of the available water.
- the resultant reaction gave a solids content of 55.3% and a grit content of 0.5 g per kilogram of product.
- An emulsion polymer was made using the conventional format for monomer delivery, i.e. neat monomer containing t-butyl hydroperoxide and t-butyl peroxy-benzoate metered directly into the loop.
- the water phase contained 0.5% of a hydroxyethyl cellulose, 1.0% of a non-ionic surfactant, 0.5% of an anionic surfactant.
- a pH modifier, sodium metabisulphite, sodium formaldehyde sulphoxylate, and water were present.
- the formulation was set to a nominal solids content of 55%.
- the reaction conditions were as follows, temperature 60° C., pressure 2 bar, production rate 117 ml/minute, recycle to feed ratio 114, mean residence time 9.0 minutes, mean flow path velocity 0.56 m/s, mean shear rate 275 reciprocal seconds.
- the product made in this manner was found to be 56.3% in solids content and had a grit content of 0.6 g per kilogram of product.
- a formulation identical to the formulation used in Comparative Example 3A was prepared, except that first a pre-emulsion was prepared comprising all the stabilisers except 0.1% anionic surfactant, pH modifier, and oxidants.
- the second feed consisted of the reductants and 0.1% anionic surfactant and 25% of the available water.
- the resultant reaction gave a solids content of 54.6% and a grit content of 1.9 g per kilogram of product
- a formulation identical to the formulation used in Comparative Example 3B was prepared, except that the pre-emulsion was prepared comprising the monomers and stabilisers except 0.1% anionic surfactant, pH modifier, and reductants.
- the second feed consisted of the oxidants, 0.1% anionic surfactant, and 25% of the available water.
- the resultant reaction gave a solids content of 53.1 % and a grit content of 0.3 g per kilogram of product.
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- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
- Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Polymerisation Methods In General (AREA)
- Addition Polymer Or Copolymer, Post-Treatments, Or Chemical Modifications (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (16)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/374,236 US8410228B2 (en) | 2006-07-18 | 2007-07-16 | Emulsion polymerisation process |
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| EP0611733.0 | 2006-07-18 | ||
| EP06117433 | 2006-07-18 | ||
| EP06117433 | 2006-07-18 | ||
| US83729206P | 2006-08-14 | 2006-08-14 | |
| PCT/EP2007/057294 WO2008009649A1 (en) | 2006-07-18 | 2007-07-16 | Emulsion polymerisation process |
| US12/374,236 US8410228B2 (en) | 2006-07-18 | 2007-07-16 | Emulsion polymerisation process |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| US20090306288A1 US20090306288A1 (en) | 2009-12-10 |
| US8410228B2 true US8410228B2 (en) | 2013-04-02 |
Family
ID=38556381
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| US12/374,236 Expired - Fee Related US8410228B2 (en) | 2006-07-18 | 2007-07-16 | Emulsion polymerisation process |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US8410228B2 (en) |
| EP (1) | EP2125903B1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2008009649A1 (en) |
Citations (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE2555874A1 (en) * | 1974-12-12 | 1976-06-16 | Boc International Ltd | Aq dispersions of acrylic polymers prepn - by step-wise emulsion polymn using pre-emulsion of surfactant and monomers |
| EP0417893A1 (en) | 1989-08-08 | 1991-03-20 | Crown Berger Limited | Polymerisation processes and reactors |
| US5969065A (en) * | 1995-12-07 | 1999-10-19 | Clariant Gmbh | Redox catalyst system for the initiation of emulsion polymerization |
| WO2001034293A1 (en) | 1999-11-11 | 2001-05-17 | Akzo Nobel N.V. | Emulsion polymerization process and reactor for such a process |
| US20010022951A1 (en) * | 1998-08-07 | 2001-09-20 | Adams David Charles | Closed loop continuous polymerisation reactor and polymerisation process |
| US20080221282A1 (en) * | 2005-09-07 | 2008-09-11 | Basf Se | Polymerization Process |
| US7858715B2 (en) * | 2005-09-12 | 2010-12-28 | Crown Brands Limited | Loop reactor for emulsion polymerisation |
| US7897115B2 (en) * | 2004-11-02 | 2011-03-01 | Crown Brands Limited | Loop reactor for emulsion polymerisation |
Family Cites Families (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB730071A (en) | 1953-02-27 | 1955-05-18 | Greenwood & Co Todmorden Ltd | Improvements in tongues of the shuttles of weaving looms |
| GB1259459A (en) | 1968-07-30 | 1972-01-05 | ||
| GB1257940A (en) | 1969-07-18 | 1971-12-22 | ||
| NL7018307A (en) | 1970-12-16 | 1972-06-20 |
-
2007
- 2007-07-16 EP EP07787562.3A patent/EP2125903B1/en not_active Not-in-force
- 2007-07-16 US US12/374,236 patent/US8410228B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2007-07-16 WO PCT/EP2007/057294 patent/WO2008009649A1/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE2555874A1 (en) * | 1974-12-12 | 1976-06-16 | Boc International Ltd | Aq dispersions of acrylic polymers prepn - by step-wise emulsion polymn using pre-emulsion of surfactant and monomers |
| EP0417893A1 (en) | 1989-08-08 | 1991-03-20 | Crown Berger Limited | Polymerisation processes and reactors |
| US5969065A (en) * | 1995-12-07 | 1999-10-19 | Clariant Gmbh | Redox catalyst system for the initiation of emulsion polymerization |
| US20010022951A1 (en) * | 1998-08-07 | 2001-09-20 | Adams David Charles | Closed loop continuous polymerisation reactor and polymerisation process |
| US7261863B2 (en) * | 1998-08-07 | 2007-08-28 | Akzo Nobel Nv | Closed loop continuous polymerization reactor and polymerization process |
| WO2001034293A1 (en) | 1999-11-11 | 2001-05-17 | Akzo Nobel N.V. | Emulsion polymerization process and reactor for such a process |
| US6569961B1 (en) * | 1999-11-11 | 2003-05-27 | Akzo Nobel Nv | Emulsion polymerization process and reactor for such a process |
| US7897115B2 (en) * | 2004-11-02 | 2011-03-01 | Crown Brands Limited | Loop reactor for emulsion polymerisation |
| US20080221282A1 (en) * | 2005-09-07 | 2008-09-11 | Basf Se | Polymerization Process |
| US7858715B2 (en) * | 2005-09-12 | 2010-12-28 | Crown Brands Limited | Loop reactor for emulsion polymerisation |
Non-Patent Citations (4)
| Title |
|---|
| "Lauryl mercaptan" data sheet. Obtained from chemicaland21.com. No Author, No date. * |
| English machine translation of DE 2555874 to Dargan. Translation obtained from EPO website on Mar. 17, 2011. * |
| International Preliminary Report on Patentability and Written Opinion, PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2007/057294, dated Oct. 24, 2008. |
| International Search Report, PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2007/057294, dated Oct. 18, 2007. |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US20090306288A1 (en) | 2009-12-10 |
| EP2125903A1 (en) | 2009-12-02 |
| EP2125903B1 (en) | 2014-01-15 |
| WO2008009649A1 (en) | 2008-01-24 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CROWN BRANDS LIMITED, UNITED KINGDOM Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:ADAMS, DAVID CHARLES;REEL/FRAME:023087/0020 Effective date: 20090417 |
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| AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, DELAWARE Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CROWN BRANDS LIMITED;REEL/FRAME:025886/0478 Effective date: 20110203 |
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| AS | Assignment |
Owner name: CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, TEXAS Free format text: CHANGE OF ADDRESS;ASSIGNOR:CELANESE INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:027212/0550 Effective date: 20110203 |
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| FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
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